Scripture

Proverbs 21:1

The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord;
he guides it wherever he pleases.

Job 12:13-25

“But true wisdom and power are found in God;
counsel and understanding are his.
What he destroys cannot be rebuilt.
When he puts someone in prison, there is no escape.
If he holds back the rain, the earth becomes a desert.
If he releases the waters, they flood the earth.
Yes, strength and wisdom are his;
deceivers and deceived are both in his power.
He leads counselors away, stripped of good judgment;
wise judges become fools.
He removes the royal robe of kings.
They are led away with ropes around their waist.
He leads priests away, stripped of status;
he overthrows those with long years in power.
He silences the trusted adviser
and removes the insight of the elders.
He pours disgrace upon princes
and disarms the strong.

“He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness;
he brings light to the deepest gloom.
He builds up nations, and he destroys them.
He expands nations, and he abandons them.
He strips kings of understanding
and leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland.
They grope in the darkness without a light.
He makes them stagger like drunkards.

Isaiah 40:21-25

Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand?
Are you deaf to the words of God—
the words he gave before the world began?
Are you so ignorant?
God sits above the circle of the earth.
The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!
He spreads out the heavens like a curtain
and makes his tent from them.
He judges the great people of the world
and brings them all to nothing.
They hardly get started, barely taking root,
when he blows on them and they wither.
The wind carries them off like chaff.

“To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.